Summers in Grandma’s Backyard
Some of my fondest memories are the parties in my grandmother’s front yard in Corona, Queens. Ever since I can remember, from about the mid 1950’s until 1971, every Nicoletti summer party was held in that yard. Rain or shine, it did not matter, the 9 sons and daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren would gather.
My dad would work on Sunday’s, so if mom was taking too long, I would walk the 5 blocks in College Point to Uncle Tom’s and hitch a ride with him. Uncle Tom would let me drive the long stretch along College Point Blvd. to Roosevelt Ave., which was always fun! I loved to be one of the first ones there, but that meant humping to the Cammeratti’s or to the soda warehouse, both about a block away.
Typically one or more aunts would be in the kitchen making sauce or meatballs, and if you were lucky, you could grab one before it hit the sauce. But more about the food later.
Slowly, but surely, everyone would start to arrive, and as they did grandma would get happier. We would have the aunts and uncles and cousins of course, and then the cousins of cousins, and sometimes the cousins of the cousins of cousins. As we got older, the boyfriends and girlfriends would come too. Pity the non-Itlians…, they needed to manage the names and the food. Yes, I will get to the food.
But first, “go kiss your aunt”.
The Food
First, seating was at a premium in grandma’s backyard, there was very little around the table under the roof, and that was usually reserved for Grandma and Grandpa and the senior aunts and uncles, although, the aunts spent a lot of time in the kitchen. You could then default to the aluminum table(s) set up in the sun ( older cousins ) but you might be able to squeeze in. Next was the ledge along the grapevines, and finally the ledge leading to the basement stairs ( mom’s did not like that ledge ). If you would ask where should I sit, Uncle Mike would raise is middle finger and say “sit on this.”
While the aunt’s were making the “gravy and gravy meat” ( I did say sauce earlier ) Uncle Tom was stoking the BBQ, Uncle Tom would start with chicken livers and bacon. OK I passed on that, then put on the chicken basted with Italian dressing using sprigs of basil as the brush. I’m not a fan of lamb, but he would have skewers of lamb that we would squeeze on lemon juice, very nice. But, the coup de gras, was the CHIVALET. Thin sausage of lamb, parsley, and cheese. We would line up, Bellaciccos roll in hand, waiting, and waiting and waiting. Once you got your sausage, you got back on line with sandwich one, to get sandwich two.
Of course we had some other Nicoletti specialties like Eggplant Parmigiana, Lemon Chicken and Manicotti. Click the links to see the recipes.
Up until the mid 1960’s in August during grandma’s birthday, their was a feast on the block. Right outside the gate, every year, was the Zeppole stand. Three for a quarter. Other desserts were the fruit and nuts, of course, but we would also get 5 gallons of Lemon Ice from the Lemon Ice King of Corona. Or sometimes just walk there. And cookies from Mangiapane’s.
Depending on the occasion, and if we were lucky, there would be Pizza dolce or homemade crumb cake.
The Entertainment
As I said earlier, for many years the entertainment was the feast right outside grandma’s backyard. There were all the typical games, food ( not that we needed any ) the stage with Italian singers etc. It was sad when the feast closed down.
We also made our own entertainment. One of my older “Lou” cousins, decided to knight the younger cousins and give us weird names that you could not remember. He used grandma’s cane as the sword, and bop you on the head if you did not remember your name. Did I say this was entertainment!
At some point, Aunt Mary would break into the standard Italian songs, and everyone would join in the singing. Uncle Tony would plat the harmonica, or do his Charlie Chaplin imitation. Before he passed away, Uncle Nick Mina, would just make everyone crack up. He was one of the funniest guys ever.
But, the real fun would start with the kids “talent contest” we would sing or dance and our uncles would throw change. Zia Rachel, would play a fake piano for the dancers, and slap her arm ( as in “F” you ). One time, when my cousin John was dancing, Uncle Mike gave him a quarter and Zia Rachel ten bucks for her piano. That was really a scream.
So sad that these days are gone, but we all have our memories of Grandma’s backyard.
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Great, great memories… We were so lucky to have that experience. We all loved and respected each other and I never remember an argument or ill temper by any of the aunts and uncles. No attitudes ever. Unless, of course, you asked Aunt Dolly for ice… lol..
To this day, it amazes me how they turned out all that food (seemingly) every week, for all those people with a tiny kitchen, 1 fridge, and one stove. Outside was one thing, but the real miracle was Christmas Eve when maybe 50 people crammed into that one room to eat and maybe another 50 came and went through the course of the night. I doubt any of us or our wives could even dream of doing that today…
Aunt Dolly was a saint and a magician. We were so blessed to have that experience.
PS: A ‘buona name’ to ‘the Count’ (pictured).. Who was the kid next to him?
Ronnie.